Ergomania

There is no limit to what you can buy to make repetitive strains a thing of the past. That was true a year ago so ergonomic accessories are not new but the product range is vastly more populated than it was at this time last year. While some of it seems sensible other items are rather extreme and others still, are downright bizarre.

In the weird but sensible category there are keyboards which have hands placed in a clap position and keys laid out as on a traditional QWERTY keyboard. There are mirrors so the typer can see the keys if necessary. The design claims to resolve issues of extension, deviation and pronation. Another freaky keyboard called the Comfort can be rotated and tilted in any direction and can be separated into three sections. Still weirder but definitely one of the coolest ergonomic inventions yet is the moldable mouse. The mouse is made of non-toxic lightweight modeling clay, covered with nylon and polyurethane blend fabric. It can be kneaded into any shape the user prefers, and the shape is self-retaining.

These are mildly radical designs that would certainly take a little getting used to but the reasoning for them is obviously beneficial. But what of the ergonomic inventions that are of questionable usefulness? One ergonomic stunner is the ergonomic seat designed for him and her. The extremely detailed body shaped seats allow your body parts to fit into prefabricated male and female molds. Then there are the practical ergonomic devices such as the ergonomic hole punch, stapler and paper clips. The stapler I looked at for example boasts, “A stapler having ergonomic benefits includes a housing situated along a principal axis.” And of the paper clips the advertising had this to say, “With its large printable surface and ergonomic shape, it’s a winner.”

I don’t know, unless there are jobs out there where people clip or staple paper after paper, all day long, I think these innovations may be a bit over the top!